Fool Me Once

Fool Me Once is the second book in Katee Robert’s Foolproof Love Series. In installment we get Aubry and Quinn’s story. I loved these two characters from the first book in the series and was so excited to learn their story would be the next. Aubry is not your normal easy going chick. Some might call her a hermit and geek while other will say she is a sassy, in your face kind of girl who exudes a stay the hell away from me kind of vibe. What most don’t realize is that she has debilitating social anxiety which has made her the way she is. Using online video games as a coping mechanism at an early age has turned Aubry into one of the best online gamers ever. So much so that she is invited to one of the biggest gaming conventions to demo their newest game. The only problem is her anxiety, there is no way she can go and be in a crowd without having a total meltdown. Quinn works on a ranch and is one of Adam’s (Aubry’s best friend’s fiancé) best friend’s. He and Aubry have never gotten along. He loves to push her buttons and get her riled up but he also sees the beautiful woman that is hiding beneath all the clothes and attitude. When Quinn finds himself needing a date for his sister’s wedding, in hopes of keeping his parents from throwing women at him, Jules suggest that he and Aubry help each other out. He can go and be her “shield” at the convention and make sure everyone else stays away from her and she can pretend to be his girlfriend for the wedding. While both are hesitant to this idea they soon realize that they don’t have any other options. FMO_understatementThese two have a rocky start but they soon find themselves enjoying each other’s company and as that easiness continues stronger feelings start to develop. What they first assume is lust quickly becomes more and these two must decide if they can trust each other with their hearts. I really enjoyed this book. The banter between these two was very entertaining. I love how great Quinn was with Aubry during her anxiety attacks, it made me fall in love with him a little myself. The author did an excellent job with these two and I can’t wait to read Daniel’s story. I received an eARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion and review. All ratings and opinions stated are my own.

***4.5 Hot, Sassy, Zombie-Fighting Stars*** Aubry Kaiser and Quinn Baldwynn have what you might call an understanding. Aubry understands that she can't stand him, and Quinn understands that, while it's a lot of fun to get under her skin, she's about as cuddly as an armadillo. When circumstances arise that would make it mutually beneficial for them to drop the gloves and help each other out, Aubry's not sure that she can manage not to kill Quinn for even just a few days' time. I like nothing more than a hot and sassy enemies-to-lovers read, and Katee Robert can write one like nobody's business. Having met Aubry and Quinn in FOOLPROOF LOVE, the first book in this series, I knew that they were like oil and water together, and when I saw that these two were getting their own story, I was all in. Aubry is a take-no-prisoners, equal opportunity loather. She's made a career of shutting herself off from people, spending most of her time perfecting her skills as an online gamer. With a past like hers, it's no wonder that she's leery of letting anybody get too close, and is just as happy keeping to herself and keeping people at bay with her vitriol and snark, hiding her debilitating anxiety from everyone but her closest friend. Quinn could not have come from a more different background, but he's happily left it all behind to do what he really loves, much to his family's dismay. When duty calls in the form of his sister's wedding, Quinn needs someone to step into the gap to help shield him from his parents' matchmaking ways. As luck would have it, the one person available to fill the bill is Aubry. Match made in Heaven? Uh, no, but desperate times require desperate measures, so a deal is struck, and the fun begins. "I think you're asking the impossible." "Do you? I think you're just a bit disappointed that you don't get to experience all I have to offer...I think the lady doth protest too much when it comes to wanting me." "Oh my God, does that line actually work with women?" "I think it just did...But it's not meant this time. This arrangement is purely business." When Aubry and Quinn hit the road, it's with every intention of getting through the next few days without killing each other. That way of thinking comes to a screeching halt fairly quickly when it becomes apparent that the sparks that these two set off are Stage 4 epic, and not to be denied. Hot? Yep. Panty-melting? Definitely. Scenes so hot that a fan is definitely required? You bet. Because Katee is a mistress of hotness, and the action between Aubry and Quinn does not disappoint. And, if some feelings develop along the way, well, who could blame them? I knew that FOOL ME ONCE would go on the list of my favorite recent reads, and I was right. Katee's second foray into the world of Devil's Falls and its residents is everything that I'd hoped for, and Aubry and Quinn and their quirky kind of love just make me happy. Now we just need Daniel's and Hope's book, and I'll call this series perfect. Add these books to your TBR. They're just what you need when you're looking for a sexy, sassy, smart book that will lift your spirits along with your temperature.

Quinn Baldwyn has to attend his sister Jenny’s wedding in two weeks. Quinn is a renegade: he refused to work in the oil family business; instead he chose a ranch. He’s the only son, and his family can’t wait for him to marry. Of course, he’ll need a date. Quinn only dates casually, and he can’t find anyone suitable to accompany him, lest a date would get ideas of matrimony. Enters Aubry Kaiser, best friend of Jules, the wife of a friend. They are highly unsuitable, they can’t stand each other. Aubry is a gamer, and she has just received an invitation to attend a closed alpha test of her favourite game: Deathmatch. It’s a dream come true as well as her worst nightmare: it’s an honour, but there will be people there! Aubry suffers from crippling societal anxiety: she finds it very difficult to be amongst crowds. Both Aubry and Quinn agree that they could help each other, if they don’t kill each other first! What stupendous fun! I was only at Chapter 1, and I was almost slapping my thighs at the fun I knew was coming! Quinn likes to tease Aubry because she is so prickly, but he is not mean, he knows when to stop. Aubry doesn’t mind that much, she knows she has attitude problems, but what she did not expect is that Quinn knows how to deal with her anxiety, and he is very patient and caring. In spite of the fact that she is not his type, Quinn thinks Aubry is cute, and he finds her interesting in an offbeat sort of way. Aubry might not like people much, but Quinn is one sexy cowboy, and soon they realise that fighting their physical attraction is pointless. And oh the sizzling sex scenes that come with this! I had read some reviews where reviewers didn’t like Aubry, but I did. I understood where she was coming from: she is not really disagreeable, she just has no filters and doesn’t know how to act around people, whereas Quinn is a people-person, and I thought this “opposites attract” trope worked splendidly. FOOL ME TWICE is a blast! There is hysterically funny banter, some insanely hot and sizzling scenes, and some very tender moments as well. The pace is very brisk, the writing smooth and young, and the dialogues are utterly spectacular! I’m not quite sure how Ms. Robert accomplishes this feat, but I could feel and hear the various cadences: Quinn’s speech reads slower, his is a modulated, silky drawl, while Aubry reads like she talks super quickly, frantically even, getting as many words as she can get in as quickly as possible, and all this without any obvious tricks from the author. This is simply fabulous and makes the reader truly feel part of their story. I was rooting for Quinn and Aubry like crazy! Oh, it’s not smooth sailing, but their difficulties felt normal, and there were no misunderstandings except the ones expected from Aubry and her neuroses. Character development is positively outstanding, their interactions: whether sex, banter, fights, tiffs, all felt genuine. FOOL ME ONCE is a true “opposites attract”: Aubry and Quinn are different, and it never feels manufactured; I felt close to those people, I wanted them to be together because it felt as if they were my friends, I could relate to them, especially Aubry. I have said it before: Katee Robert is a master at characterisation, and Aubry and Quinn are no exception. I could dwell on everything that’s good in FOOL ME ONCE, but it could take a long, long time, because I cannot find any fault with this fabulous book! Extremely well done, Ms. Robert! I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.